Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Golden Surfer’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Golden Surfer’, characterized by its upright and rounded growth habit; freely branching growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; duplex-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets and yellow green-colored disc florets; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Golden Surfer’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andreferred to by the name ‘Golden Surfer’.

The new Chrysanthemum is the product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Staden, Belgium. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new garden Chrysanthemums with aflowering date of mid-September, unique inflorescence forms, attractiveray and disc coloration and good resistance to wind and rain.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in September, 2000, in Staden, Belgium, of theChrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Bronia, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Rumba,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,462, as the male, or pollen, parent.The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Staden, Belgium.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings inStaden, Belgium since November, 2001, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Golden Surfer has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Golden Surfer’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Golden Surfer’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and rounded growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Duplex-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray        florets and yellow green-colored disc florets.    -   5. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Bronia. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inStaden, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants ofthe cultivar Bronia in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about 39 days        earlier than plants of the cultivar Bronia grown under natural        season conditions.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Bronia        differed in inflorescence form and ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Rumba. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inStaden, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants ofthe cultivar Rumba in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about 44 days        earlier than plants of the cultivar Rumba grown under natural        season conditions.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Rumba        differed in inflorescence form and ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of thecultivar Pjhavan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,268. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Staden, Belgium, plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Pjhavan in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more rounded in form        than and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Pjhavan.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two weeks        earlier than plants of the cultivar Pjhavan grown under natural        season conditions.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were        smaller than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Pjhavan.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Pjhavan        differed in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Orka, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inStaden, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants ofthe cultivar Orka in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and more rounded        in form than plants of the cultivar Orka.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about four days        earlier than plants of the cultivar Orka grown under natural        season conditions.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Orka        differed in inflorescence form and ray floret coloration.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not sensitive to Rust        infection whereas plants of the cultivar Orka were sensitive to        Rust infection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Golden Surfer’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view ofthe upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves (top) and typicalinflorescences (bottom) of ‘Golden Surfer’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown during the summer and fall in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium,under commercial practice in an outdoor nursery. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures averaged 15° C. and night temperaturesaveraged 13° C. Plants were pinched about two weeks after planting.Plants were about four months from planting into 19-cm containers whenthe photographs and the description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Golden    Surfer.-   Commercial classification: Garden Chrysanthemum.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female or seed parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar            Bronia, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar            Rumba, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,462.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 12 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About two weeks at            25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About three weeks            at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, fine and freely branching; white            in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous potted Chrysanthemum typically grown            as a spray type. Stems upright and outwardly spreading;            rounded plant habit. Freely branching with lateral branches            potentially developing at every node; dense and full plants.            Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 60 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 4 to 5 cm. Width: About 3 to 3.5 cm. Apex: Acuminate.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent, leathery. Venation pattern:            Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing foliage, upper            surface: 137C. Developing foliage, lower surface: 138B.            Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 146B.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Closest to 147B;            venation, 146B. Petiole length: About 2 to 2.5 cm. Petiole            diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole color: 147B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Duplex-type composite inflorescences with ray            and disc florets developing acropetally on a receptacle.            Inflorescences borne on terminals and lateral branches above            foliage. Slightly fragrant. Typically grown as a natural            spray-type.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower            in mid-September in Northern Europe.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about four weeks. Inflorescences            persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about eight            inflorescences develop per lateral stem; uniform            inflorescence development.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 146B to 146C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 5 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elliptic. Orientation: Initially            upright; with development, roughly perpendicular to the            peduncle. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Apex:            Rounded. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 130.            Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 5C;            color becoming closer to 5D with development. When opening            and fully opened, lower surface: 5D.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular; falcate. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About            8 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per            inflorescence: About 55. Color: Apex: 151B. Mid-section:            145C. Base: 144C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 to 5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Flexible. Texture: Smooth;            glabrous. Color: 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not    sensitive to Rust infection. Resistance to pests and other pathogens    common to Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants of the new    Chrysanthemum.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been    observed to be very resistant to wind, rain and temperatures ranging    from about −3 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘GoldenSurfer’, as illustrated and described.